Hi ! I’m new

[Suzi16]

Hi I’m suzi I’m 16 years old and am diagnosed with anxiety depression and anorexia. Just looking for some friends and support

[Agora1]

Hi Suzi16, Welcome to this caring forum. As the mother of an Anorexic daughter

as well as having Anxiety issues myself, I can understand you needing support and

understanding. We are here to help you with our own experiences in dealing with

anxiety. As for the anorexia, just so you know that there is another HU community that

deals strictly with eating disorders. You are more than welcome to be in both.

I'm glad you are here with us. xx

[NeuronerdDoaty]

Hi Suzi! Welcome

[Beevee]

She was a bright high-achiever using exercise as a coping mechanism but it "spiralled out of control". The article goes on to say that people at work talk about dieting, triggers anorexia thoughts and behaviours.

The above was taken from a BBC article about anorexia being seen as a disease of the mind and body. This all sounds very familiar to me.

Anxiety any one? I have this long held theory that anorexia is just another form of anxiety. Not a disease of the body but a symptom of the way people think. A fear of something which drives sufferers of anorexia to modify their behaviour to appease those anxious thoughts and feelings. Just like OCD which is just another form of anxiety. The article I referred to might support my theory. Why did the young lady need a coping mechanism? A coping mechanism for what? The stress that came with being a high achiever? We all know how stress in any shape of form is the kick start to developing anxiety, especially when the sufferer then becomes afraid of the symptoms of stress. Stressing about being stressed magnifies the effects of the symptoms which produces scary thoughts and feelings which seem real ( they are not real) A person with anxiety can easily be tricked by an anxious brain churning out exaggerated thoughts about anything and everything. If a healthy, non anxious person, has insecurities about their weight, anxiety will magnify that insecurity and blow it all out of proportion, making the problem seem so much bigger than ever, and demanding to be taken notice of. When in reality, the treatment of this is just the same as I’ve always said. Accepting that the thoughts and feelings are just the symptoms of anxiety and to learn to let them go and not “listen” to them or give them the respect they crave to keep the anxiety cycle going.

Apologies Suzi for hijacking your post but would be interested to get your views. Is there anything you fear which triggers any form of behaviour to that makes you want to avoid eating? Avoiding things is a classic sign of coping with anxiety because the sufferer doesn’t want to do anything which might trigger the anxious feelings.

Thank you

Beevee